Robotic System Advances Colorectal Procedures

A novel robotic surgical platform provides access to hard-to-reach anatomy in colorectal procedures, offering treatment options that may not be possible with straight, rigid instruments.

The Medrobotics Flex System is a highly articulated, multi-linked endoscope that enables minimally-invasive surgery (MIS) procedures that replace open surgical procedures for many parts of the anatomy that are difficult or previously impossible to reach. The maneuverability of the endoscope is gained from numerous mechanical linkages with concentric mechanisms; each mechanism can be placed into a rigid or a limp state. By employing a patented "follow-the-leader" movement strategy with these alternating states, the endoscope can be directed into any shape through the relative orientations of its linkages.

The system is designed to provide a cost-effective non-linear, circuitous robot-assisted surgical platform for situations where conventional line-of-sight technologies are either not feasible or offer suboptimal results. An assist platform includes an onboard high-definition (HD) vision system and contains multiple open device channels that accept a variety of proprietary wristed 3mm Flex instruments or third party surgical and interventional instruments. The Flex System is a product of Medrobotics, and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The human gastrointestinal system is full of twists and turns, and rigid surgical robots were not designed to operate in that environment; the Flex Robotic System was. Two years ago Medrobotics started revolutionizing treatment in the head and neck. We can now begin doing that in colorectal procedures,” said Samuel Straface, PhD, CEO of Medrobotics. “American hospitals, surgeons, and patients will be able to enjoy the benefits of the world’s only flexible, surgical robotic platform. It will easily integrate into hospitals due to its mobility and short learning curve.”

“The Flex Robotic System offers the promise to treat select colorectal patients transanally with a more consistent and an easier approach, because it overcomes the limits of straight surgical instrumentation,” said Professor Alessio Pigazzi, PhD, of the University of California, Irvine (UCI; USA). “Medrobotics is ushering in the first of a new generation of shapeable and steerable robotic surgical systems that offer the potential to reduce the invasiveness of surgical procedures for more patients.”